Positions for Healing Grace in an Election Year #3

Our view of the value of life and people comes from God. – we do not view people or life the way the world does. Nor do we view them the way the political parties or political ideologies do. In Genesis 1 the Bible tells us that every person shares in the image of God. “Let us make man (not an individual, not just Adam and Eve, but humanity, a distinct life form) in our own image…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Every human being regardless of their individual distinctives – their sex, their color, their mindsets, their makeup, their size, their position, their needs, etc. share in the image of God. We use this idea when we talk about abortion and the termination of life, like the death penalty or suicide or euthanasia. But what about women’s rights or racism or the immigrant or the poor? What about the person on the other side of your position or political party. Republicans share in the image of God. Democrats share the image of God. Progressives share the image of God. Even the ultra conservatives share in the image of God. Both presidential candidates share in the image of God.

Because they share God’s image, they also are recipients of God’s love. When Jesus said “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” he was talking about everyone. Not only do they share God’s image, God loves them. And because God loves them he wants them all to be saved. So Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 5:16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 2 Cor. 5:16 in The Message “Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know.”

These 3 principles: Everyone shares God’s image. God loves everyone. God wants everyone to be saved. Should guide how we view life and how we view people. When I am faced with those who oppose the way I believe and how I think – I must always remember – they share in God’s image, God loves them, God wants them to be saved, just like me. If they share in God’s image, they deserve at least a modicum of respect, if they are loved by God, then I must care about them, if God wants them to be saved, I must in humility understand that we are “in the same boat” and act as a representative for God to either help them to reconcile with God or for me to be reconciled with them. To live as Paul’s words express “as far as you are able live at peace with everyone.”